Plush toys provide the consumer with a variety of toys replicating animals and humans or the like which are extremely user friendly. This is due, in part, to the characteristic of plush toys which provide a soft padded body which is usually covered by a soft outer "skin" providing a pleasant feel or touch. In many instances, the outer skin includes a soft coat such as simulated animal fur or the like. In efforts to enhance the play value of plush toys, practitioners in the art have provided additional activities which have included animation or movement capability, sound producing capability, and various illumination schemes to light up some or all of the plush toys.
As the popularity of plush toys has continued, practitioners have endeavored to meet consumer desires for evermore interesting and enjoyable plush toys by providing a variety of such toys. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,464,861 issued to Fogarty, et al. sets forth a PLUSH TOY in which an elongated plush representing a fanciful caterpillar or the like is provided with an internal cavity supporting a battery-powered light assembly and a squeeze-operated switch mechanism. The plush toy further includes an illuminatable head portion secured to the body enclosing the lamp portion of the interior battery-powered light. Thus, when the body of the plush toy is squeezed, the battery-powered light source is activated illuminating the head and face of the plush toy to provide a glow.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,808,418 issued to Conard, et al. sets forth a LIGHT FLASHING APPARATUS which may, for example, be supported within a plush toy. The light flashing apparatus includes a piezoelectric crystal together with means for compressing the piezoelectric crystal and generating electrical energy. An electric circuit including a lamp is coupled to the crystal such that compression of the crystal energizes the electrical circuit and the lamp to produce light.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,110,100 issued to Ambash, et al. sets forth a TOY FIGURE which resembles a bear or similar animal and which defines an interior cavity. Within the interior cavity, a battery-powered electric circuit includes an on/off switch and one or more batteries together with a pair of lamps supported within the bear's eyes. In operation, the squeezing of the bear abdomen activates the electric circuit and illuminates the eyes of the bear.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,370,601 issued to Wimpfheimer, et al. which sets forth a SMALL FLASHLIGHT STRUCTURE resembling a toy dog or the like. A housing within the dog body interior supports a battery power source and one or more illuminatable lamps are positioned in correspondence to the dog's eyes. When the battery power source is activated, the dog's eyes are illuminated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,694,772 issued to Gelardin sets forth a FLASHLIGHT WITH HERMETICALLY SEALED CASING which is formed in general correspondence to a fanciful representation of a dog or similar animal. An interior cavity within the animal body supports a battery-powered flashlight mechanism including a lamp which extends forwardly through a hole in the animal's nose.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,744,189 issued to Wudyki sets forth a PORTABLE LAMP which is formed to generally replicate a small monkey. The monkey is configured to attach to a vehicle antenna in appearance of climbing the same. A hollow cavity within the monkey's body supports a battery-powered flashlight which illuminates the head portion of the monkey.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,917 issued to Patane sets forth a TOY DOLL which generally replicates a human infant having a translucent face and soft body. Within the body interior, an elongated battery-powered flashlight is supported together with switch means operative when the doll body is squeezed. The lamp portion of the battery-powered flashlight is supported within the interior of the doll's head portion and energizing of the battery-powered light causes the head portion to glow.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,853 issued to Laval, Jr. sets forth a TOY FIGURE formed in a general replication of an upright positioned rabbit. The rabbit includes a soft plush body together with an internal battery-powered light source which illuminates selected portions of the toy figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,034,258 issued to Schwartz sets forth a HAND PUPPET WITH FINGERTIP CONTROLLED ILLUMINATABLE NOSE which generally replicates a human clown. The puppet includes an extending translucent nose supporting a flashlight bulb therein. A battery-powered energy source and switch are supported within the puppet interior such that the switch may be operated from within the puppet by the hand enclosed therein to energize the bulb and illuminate the nose.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,068 issued to Pietrowiak sets forth a DUAL FACE ILLUMINATED DOLL having a human-like torso and supporting a pair of oppositely facing human faces integrally formed into a common head. An internal light source within the doll body energizes a lamp within the doll head to cause the faces to glow.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,171 issued to Horimoto sets forth a STUFFED TOY having a generally rigid base supporting a stuffed toy body having an interior cavity therein. A battery-powered light source is supported within the doll body upon the base and, when energized, illuminates the toy figure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,074 issued to Kinberg, et al. sets forth an ANIMATED NOVELTY DEVICE shaped in the form of an owl-like creature and having a flexible body and illuminatable eyes. An associated sound producing device is located within the body of the animated device and is arranged such that pressure applied to the body portion causes the simultaneous lighting of the eyes and the production of an associated sound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,888 issued to Worsham, et al. sets forth a SCARECROW DOLL which consists of a scarecrow-like doll body having electronic sound producing means supported therein. A pair of lightbulbs are supported within the scarecrow's eyes and are energizable in combination with the sound generator.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided some increased entertainment and amusement value and have, in some instances, enjoyed considerable commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved and interesting plush toys and the like.